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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: vault · calf · rock · saw · date · charge · fan · pass

  1. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. saw — the tool
  4. rock — music
  5. pass — a permit
  6. date — the fruit
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. rock — a stone
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. saw — the tool
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. charge — electricity
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. charge — in control
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. vault — a safe
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. date — on the calendar

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com